Mum's the word in Olympics glory chase
When it comes to grabbing Olympics glory, mum's the word - just ask German archer Cornelia Pfohl and Indonesian weightlifter Raema Lisa Rumbewas.
When it comes to grabbing Olympics glory, mum's the word - just ask German archer Cornelia Pfohl and Indonesian weightlifter Raema Lisa Rumbewas.
Pfohl won a silver medal at the Sydney Games four years ago while in the early stages of pregnancy and is hoping for gold here while being 30 weeks gone with her second child.
Rumbewas, meanwhile, used her mother's influence to take a silver in the women's 53kg category here on Sunday.
"The doctors here are taking really good care of me," said Pfohl after reaching the second round of the women's individual archery event.
"When I am shooting I don't feel any different than I do when I am not pregnant."
Pfohl is believed to be the first athlete to compete at the Olympic Games while in the third term of pregnancy.
She is taking part in her fourth consecutive Olympics having won two team medals - silver in 1996 at Atlanta and bronze in 2000 at Sydney.
Being in the family way at the Olympics is nothing new for Pfohl as she was in the early stages of pregnacy with her now three-year-old daughter, Mara, at Sydney.
The best ever Olympics result by a pregnant woman at the Games is the bronze won by platform diver Juno Irwin of the United States in 1952 when she was four months pregnant.
Cuban judoka Amarilys Savon can also testify to the power of being a mum - she won the bronze on Sunday in the 52kg division.
Savon gave birth after the Sydney Olympics and then won the world title which she dedicated to her baby.
"Since I've had my baby, I'm constantly thinking of her and she is my big motivation in my life," she said.
"I was disappointed to only win bronze as I knew this was my best chance to take gold. But in these moments, you can only be positive and after the competition I started crying.
"My daughter Lorena always helps me in what I am doing."
Indonesian weightlifter Raema Lisa Rumbewas had threatened to quit the Games claiming she was homesick and demanded her mother be given the opportunity to come to Greece to help her in the quest for gold in the 53kg class.
In August, it had been reported that the 24-year-old ran away from her team's training centre in a stand-off before the situation was resolved on the eve of the Olympics.
Indonesian authorities relented and granted a tourist visa for Rumbewas's mother and it seemed to do the trick as the Indonesian took silver behind world champion Udomporn Polsak of Thailand.
